Drapery holder and looper



May 5, 1953 MGC ZABE 2,637,384

DRAPERY HOLDER AND; LOOPER Filed NOV. 20, 1951 1 2 SHEETS-SHEET l HaMoZdMcEabe,

Patented May 5, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE DRAPERY HOLDER AND LOOPER Harold MoCabe, Somerville, Mass.

Application November 20, 1951, Serial No. 257,298

(El. 1603i9) i (Jlaims. 1

This invention relates to a device facilitating the mounting and draping of curtains, valances, and the like. The object is to provide a device of molded synthetic plastic, inherently attractive, which may be cheaply produced and marketed, which has no movable parts, which is simple to apply without the use of tools and does not require any sewing, and which will not only act to support the curtain on its rod, but will provide a facility for draping it to give a wide variety of effects.

My invention will be well understood by reference to the following description of the i1lustrative embodiment thereof shown by way of example in the accompanying drawings, where- Fig. l is a front elevation of a draped curtain showing one form of display which can easily be achieved by utilizing the device illustrated in the other figures;

Fig. 2 shows a fragment of a curtain rod and a curtain secured to the rod by means of the device forming the subject matter of the invention, which appears in front elevation;

Fig. 3 is a section on the line 33 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a view similar to 3 showing another type of rod; and

Fig. 5 is a rear elevation of the device.

In Fig. l of the drawing I have shown a curtain which may be considered suspended on a rod which does not appear in the figure. Portions of the depending curtain C are gathered together in the form of rosettes R, and the intermediate portion of the fabric between hangs as a festoon Such an arrangement, among others, may be easily provided by the use of the invention, as will appear.

Referring now more particularly to Figs. 2, 3 and 5 of the drawing, the device may be molded from suitable synthetic plastic as an effectively integral structure, and in the example shown is a single unitary piece without any joinings. It comprises a ring-like front portion I0 having an open center II which may have, if desired, an ornamental form such as the shield-shaped form illustrated and which, for convenience, to provide a single identifying word, I shall refer to as a medallion. Projecting rearwardly and downwardly from the rear face of the top portion l2 of this medallion is a hook l4 defining a downwardly opening throat [3. It may be reinforced by a central rib It as best seen in Fig. 5. The bill I! of the hook may be directed rearwardly as seen in Fig. 3, to facilitate its engagement over a curtain rod, While the hook extends in opposing relation to the open center H of the medallion, its length is short relatively to the vertical height of the medallion H), for a purpose which will appear. Apposing the hook contours are provided medallion contours which cooperate to provide a seat or seats for curtain rods. Conveniently and preferably these are arranged as here shown on the back of the framelike sides of the medallion at either side of the hook, in the form of suitably contoured integral ribs. Referring to Fig. 3 it will be seen that when viewed from the side the device is a bifurcated structure, the medallion Hl being a front leg and the hook It a relatively short rear leg.

The edge of the curtain C may be folded over a curtain rod, as ill in Fig. 3 or 20 in Fig. 4, and the device applied by a movement of approach from above. The medallion should be at the front. The curtain is thus supported on the rod and may thereafter be draped in a manner to be described. It will be noted that where the contours opposing the hook are at opposite sides thereof, as herein disclosed, there will be a threepoint engagement of the device to prevent tipping. The plastic has a slight resiliency adapting it to various thicknesses of fabric, and assuring a good grip. At the same time it is in a relative sense rigid, and does not require to be spread in application or compressed after application.

In Figs. 3 and 4 I have shown two different types of rods, a flat rod is in Fig. 3, and a round rod 20 in Fig. 4. To adapt the device most eliiciently to both types of rods, the hook is formed adjacent the base of its throat with a cylindrically contoured surface 22 which will partly oncircle the cylindrical rod 20 as seen in Fig. 4. The opposing contours on the back of the medallion include a cylindrically formed surface 24 opposite the above mentioned surface so that these two surfaces cooperatively fit around the cylindrical rod 20 in the manner seen in Fig. 4. Below the surface 22, the contours which coopcrate with the hook include a shoulder 26 spaced from the surface 24 and adapted to engage the lower end of a flat rod [6 when its upper edge is received between such cylindrically formed surfaces 22 and 24 as illustrated in Fig. 3.

When the curtain has been mounted by means of one or more of the devices just described, it may be draped by grasping a portion of the depending material and passing it from the rear forwardly through the open center of the medallion ID as indicated by the arrow in Fig. 2. Thus in the device shown in Fig. 1 the rosettes B were formed by Passing the material through two such devices, after which the material so drawn through was arranged in the rosette form shown. Alternatively, the material could be permitted to hang as a swag. It is loosely supported in the sense that it may be freely adjusted within the open center to dispose the material in the most effective manner.

It will be apparent that if a mass of curtain material is to be drawn through the opening H the opening "must be of ample size; Furthermore if, as in the example shown, theopenin'g extends substantially to the top of the mounting rod, as 18 in Fig. 2, the portion of the rod which lies behind it in effect restricts the size of 'theopening. Also the depending hook lying as it does, see Fig. 3, close to the back of the opening "forms anobstruction to the passage of such amass; There-- fore, as shown, at least the major portion of the area of the opening lies below the end of the hook and out of alignment Ttherewith in the front to rear: direction; vertical to i the plane of the* paper viewing Fig.- 2. The drawing .illustrates to scale* an actual commercial construction as mounted-on standard curtain rods, around rod one"quarter inch iii-diameter :(Fig: 4) and a=flat 1 rod three-quarters of an inch widelFig. 2). The height of theop'ening is 3 ;inches and its width z y inchesi Itmight'be larger to more easily accommodate-heavy drapes without being im practicable-on lighter-ones; n the other hand while a -looper with a" similar opening 2%incheS high and 1- inches widecan be used for very light materials, such dimensions might be considered as substantiallytthe limit ofpracticability and notto-be recommended.

The form of openingshown is advantageous in that the-sides converge to define an angle at the may. be supported=where no rod iseused. The

opening formedinithe'medallion extends: below the hooi: portion-and -is :open at the backf0rtthe passage of the curtain; and curtain fabriczmay be passed through the open center in the-wsar'ne way" when the device is so supported... The ordinary. use of the device howeverwvill beam-connection with a rod of one type or 'another oria similar horizontal supporting member such, for instance. as a valance board.

I am aware that the invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential attributes thereof, and I therefore desire the present embodiment to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, as is in fact clear in several matters from the description itself. Reference is to be'h'adto the appendedclaifns totindicate those principles of the'inventi'omexemplified by the particular embodiment described and which I desire to secure by Letters Patent.

I claim:

1. A device for facilitating the draping of curtains formed-as an eifectively integral structure of molded materialcomprising an upper portion formed with' spaced front and rear resilient legs extending downwardly and grippingly engageable over a curtain rod by azmovement of approach from above; the upperipcrtion at'the front being extended downward as an open centered'frame to a-=point below'said .rear leg; at least the major.

segment of the open area within the frame 'being 1 disposed out of front to rear alignment with said rear leg" to p'rovidean unobstructed opening ofsubstantial size'to pass a-gathered together por-' tion ef'a curtain'to facilitateuhangingand drape-- the curtain fromopposite sides of theifram'e'.

ing .the curtain material :from opposite: sides .of the frame.

2. A'device as set forth infclaim :l -wherein said rear'leg is centrally located and'ithefront" leg comprises parts spaced to either sid of the rear leg, the forwardly presented face offthe rear leg' having at its upper portion a cylindrically formed surface partly. to encircle a cylindrical curtain 'rod, the said parts of the front leg having at their rearwardly presented face a cylindricallyYformedJ.

References Cited in thefile of this: patent: UNITED STATES -P'AIENTS Numb er Name a Date.

1,586,656 Corey; ..June-.1, ,1926 1654fi56 Ryan Jan...3,;.1928 2,316,337 K'enney. .Apr. 13,1943. ,337,950" Werner i ..Dec. .28 ,l943- 2,547,349"

Tegarty l .Aprv 3 1951 

